Monday, February 15, 2016

How an Identity Monitor Can Help Protect Your Information

When trying to protect your information online, sometimes one set of eyes isn't enough, so implementing a service like an identity monitor is a great way to ensure that there is an added level of protection standing between your information and thieves. Though it may seem like more of the same, this type of protection is designed and created with the intention of giving you more in terms of protection. While adding to the level of security, this type of service does not require additional vigilance by the user in between reports; it simply runs constantly, alerting users to certain types of activities like new credit applications, new loan applications or change of addresses, even monitoring for Social Security number exposure, which may be signs of attempted identity theft.

What is an Identity Monitor? An identity monitor is like a credit monitor - but it takes things one step further. Whereas a credit monitoring service checks your credit file information, an identity monitor encompasses more aspects of your identity from your name and social security number to your address and vital statistics. Monitoring your very important information for personally identifiable information for potentially damaging exposure on the Internet; for new cell phone applications made in your name; bank password changes can all be indications your identity has been compromised. With early notifications, you can be alerted early and start to take the necessary precautions to keep your identity protected,

What Happens When Someone Steals My Identity?

Being the victim of identity theft is more than having money stolen and accounts compromised. It can also mean the difference between being approved for certain things like jobs, homes, or even passports. If a thief gets ahold of something like a Social Security number, they can then use that to pose as you - applying for things, filling out forms, even pretending to be a legal citizen in some cases. As you can guess, getting things sorted out when they get to this point can be quite difficult, so it is important to try to stop this type of invasion from happening in any way available.

Is Identity Theft Common?
The answer to this question is yes. Identity theft happens all the time, inconveniencing and even in some cases ruining the lives of the victims. It can be very difficult and time consuming to recover from identity theft, so knowing how to identify this type of theft is important. Sadly, the prevalence of identity theft makes it easier to know what to look for - meaning that the loss of others is used as a teaching method for those that have not been victimized. Thousands of people have had their identities stolen, requiring them to participate in the slow process of reclaiming control over their lives. Their stories and experiences provide information for people that are concerned about the safety of their own information, and even reading one of them will make some type of identity protection like an identity monitoring service or credit report monitoring seem like a fantastic idea to implement.